What Lies Ahead
by Keiko3
Summary: Harry and Draco get an unexpected glimpse into the future. If I say anything else, it will give away the plot. Rating is for future chapters, most of the story is PG. *FINISHED**Please R&R.
1. Default Chapter

Title: What Lies Ahead?

Author: Keiko

Rating: R (For Later Chapters and to be safe)

Disclaimer:  The world of Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling, Warner Bros. and various publishing companies.  I do not own any of them and no profit is being made from this story.

Pairings: Harry/Draco, Ron/Hermione cameo

Spoilers: Books 1-4

Warnings: Slash (nothing graphic, just some fluffiness)

Summary:  Harry and Draco get an unexpected glimpse into the future.  If I say anything else, it will give away the plot.

Chapter 1 

It was unseasonably warm for September, as Harry started his sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  One of his first classes that year was Potions with Professor Snape, much to Harry's dismay.  If it was hot or cold outside, Harry could always rest assured that it would be scorching or frigid in the dungeons of Hogwarts.  True to form, a sweltering heat rushed at Harry, Hermione, and Ron as they opened the door to enter Snape's classroom.

When the class was finally over, Harry felt so relieved to leave and search for a cooler spot.  Just as he was ready to walk out the door, he heard Professor Snape's acidic voice echo, "Potter and Mr. Malfoy, I want you to stay for a few moments."

Harry had thought it was too good to be true to have a Potions class end without Gryffindor losing house points.  Now he assumed that Harry would once again lose points due to some whim of the potions master.  The only problem was, he had no idea what he could have done wrong this time.  Even more surprising, was the fact that Snape had also requested that Draco remain as well.  

He and Draco had not had a fight for over a year, so he knew that this could not be the cause of the delay.  Draco had publicly announced at the beginning of fifth year that he wanted nothing to do with Lord Voldemort and would be working for Dumbledore and Harry's side.  Harry had grown to respect Draco since that day, having to work closely with him with the Order of the Phoenix, even though Malfoy was still and always would be an arrogant prat. The two could even be seen together quite often, enjoying each other's company, now that Ron and Hermione went almost everywhere hand in hand. Harry quickly glanced at Draco for some kind of clue. Draco was obviously unaware of the reason for Snape's request too, as the two young men gave each other a slight shrug.

After all of the other students left the classroom, Snape broke the silence.  "Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Potter, I need for you to run an errand for me, since you both have a free period now.  I am need of a very important Potions book, which has been locked away in a storage room, clear on the other side of the castle on the seventh floor.  As you are both well aware of, not only am I teaching Potions this year, but I am also alternating with Professor McGonagall for the Defense Against the Dark Arts classes.  On top of that, I am forced to remain in the dungeons all night guarding the Slytherins under my care, due to the constant threat of Voldemort.  Therefore, I only have meal breaks, which do not allow me the time to travel across the castle to retrieve my book.  Understand?"

"Yes professor," Harry and Draco replied robotically as the heat was making them drowsier by the second.

"Good.  Here is map showing you how to get to the storage room, this is the name of the book and here, Mr. Malfoy is the key to open the lock.  Before you go though, I must also give you a strict warning.  The storage room in question contains many invaluable items that were kept here at Hogwarts in case Gringotts was ever infiltrated by Voldemort.  Mr. Malfoy here is my most trusted student, so I know I can depend on him to use utmost care when in that room.  As for you Mr. Potter, if anything happens to any of the articles in that room, I assure you that I will arrange for your immediate expulsion.  Do I make the importance of this clear to the both of you?"

"Yes sir," the two said impatiently and made for the door before Snape could detain them in the heat any longer.

Harry couldn't believe he was forced to play fetch for his least favourite professor and felt that a trek across the castle in this heat was cruel and unusual punishment.

Draco was concentrating on the map, his brow furrowed and his lips in a slight pout.  "Is Professor Snape crazy; it will take almost an hour to reach this room from here in the dungeons.  Who does he think he is turning a Malfoy into a gopher?  And in this heat; I might suffer from heat exhaustion."

"Oh stop your whining, Draco.  I was looking forward to doing much better things too, like lowering my body temperature; but, since we are stuck running this errand for Snape, we might as well make the best of it.  We're near the kitchens anyway; I'll get Dobby to fetch us some cold glasses of pumpkin juice before we embark on our journey."

"Well, I guess that's better than nothing.  At least I won't die from dehydration." Draco muttered.

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	2. Chapter 2

Title: What Lies Ahead?

Author: Keiko

Rating: R

Pairings: Harry/Draco, Ron/Hermione cameo

Spoilers: Books 1-4

Warnings: Slash 

Summary:  Harry and Draco get an unexpected glimpse into the future.  If I say anything else, it will give away the plot.

Chapter 2 

After drinking three glasses of pumpkin juice apiece, Harry and Draco were finally able to release themselves from an insistent Dobby's grasp, who kept trying to serve them a five-course dinner.

"Well that was refreshing, but now we've got to get moving.  We'll miss dinner if we put this off any longer" Harry said unenthusiastically.

"Yes, let's get this ordeal over with." Draco replied even less pleased than Harry.

Forty-five minutes later, Harry asked, "Are we there yet.  We've been walking for ages."

Draco scowled angrily and said "We would have been there already if the damn staircases didn't change every five minutes.  This stupid map is so antiquated and obsolete, it does not update itself quickly enough.  Wait, I think we are almost there.  Just three more doors to the left.  Yes, here we are finally.  I was just about to faint from the heat."

"Draco, what are you on about?  Please just open the door so we can get Snape's book and leave."

"Fine, I'll unlock the door, but if I pass out, you'll have to personally carry me to the hospital wing.  I wouldn't trust your levitation spells."

"Since you'll be unconscious, you'll never know if I bump your head a few times with my levitation spell, so please just unlock the door." Harry said in exasperation.

Draco took out the odd looking key Snape had given him and placed it in the lock.  The door opened with a loud whoosh and the key evaporated into a cloud of smoke.  "Wow, an enchanted key!" Harry exclaimed in amazement.

"Well, what did you expect?  Snape said this room contains a lot of valuable articles.  I'm sure Dumbledore isn't daft enough to use a Muggle-type lock and key."  Draco said with his usual air of superiority.

"True." Harry agreed.  "Let's find that book."

Upon entering the room, the two young wizards observed that the room was immense and was filled from wall to wall with intriguing, magical items.  There were several bookcases scattered haphazardly about the room, making the task ahead a lot more difficult.

"Why couldn't Snape at least have had the courtesy to tell us which bookshelf his book was on?  None of these are in any kind of order.  We'll be here all night." Draco sighed.

"I guess we'll just have to split up and check each bookcase.  There aren't that many books on each one, so it shouldn't take too long to find the one we're looking for.  I'll search the ones on the right of the room and Draco, you take the left side."  Harry suggested.

"But there are more bookcases on the left.  I want the right side." Draco whined.

"Fine then.  I'll take the left and you'll take the right, you big baby."

So Harry and Draco began to search the room for the book in question, each muttering and grumbling under their breath about what a bastard Snape was.

"_Lumos!" _Harry said and a second later Draco also cast the same spell to make reading the book titles easier.

"Have you found it yet?" Draco asked.

"I just got started.  Do you think we'd actually have that kind of luck?  It'll probably be the last book on the last shelf we search."

"I hate to admit it, but you're probably correct, Harry."

An hour later, Harry and Draco were still looking for the potions book.  Harry found himself in the far left corner of the room when he turned and saw a familiar object.  "Merlin's beard!  I haven't seen this thing for ages.  I wondered where Dumbledore put it." Harry shouted in excitement.

Draco, never one to miss out on the excitement, rushed over to Harry's side to see what had caused Harry's outburst.  "What's all the fuss about, Potter?"

"Draco look!"

"I guess you haven't seen one before Potter, but that is just a mirror.  I have about ten of them in my room at home."

"Very funny Draco, this is the Mirror of Erised.  I found this mirror back in first year in an unused room.  It shows you what your heart desires most.  I guess that why it is call the Mirror of Erised, since it is desire spelled as a mirror image.  Anyway, when I looked into the mirror back then, it showed me my parents and other family members.  Come here, let's look into the mirror together and see what we see."

Draco moved next to Harry and the two young wizards looked into the Mirror of Erised.  "Well, what do you see?" Draco asked first.

Harry scowled and said, "Something's wrong.  What do you see?"

"I see you and me Potter, just like in any other mirror."

"Yeah me too.  I don't understand it.  I used to see my family and now all I see is our reflections. Look again, will you?"

Together, Draco and Harry stared into the mirror, this time, more intently, hoping to see something different than before.

After a few minutes, Draco announced "All I still see is myself and you with those big, beautiful green eyes."

"What!"

"Er, did I say beautiful?  Sorry Harry, I guess I was-um- staring at the mirror for too long and- um- the heat- well, you know." Draco explained with a slight blush rising across his pale cheeks.

Harry stared at Draco for a moment, slightly embarrassed himself and then said, "Oh well if that was all it was.."

"Dumbledore probably put an enchantment on it to prevent it from showing people their desires.  I'm sure he didn't want a bunch of students running around Hogwarts trying to find some mirror to tell them what they already know.  Really, who needs some stupid mirror to tell me what I desire most." Draco quickly tried to change the conversation.

"Yeah, I guess you're right.  We better get back to the search."

Twenty minutes later, Harry was finished with his side of the room, his search bearing no results.  The book had to be on the right side of the room, so Harry decided to assist Draco.  As he approached Draco, he said, "I can't believe you're still not done and you had less shelves to search than I."  Then he noticed that Draco was twirling a shiny object in his fingers very quickly.  When Harry was almost next to Draco, he saw a golden, gossamer chain dangling from the object Draco was rotating.  Then he realized what it was and lurched into action.

"Draco, put that down now!"  Harry screamed.  Draco instinctively stopped twirling the object and clutched it tightly at the shock of hearing Harry's stark warning.  At the same time, Harry impulsively grabbed for the object and wrapped his hand around Draco's, which was still holding the tiny item and chain.

Suddenly, the room around the two wizards seemed to become warped and distorted, as they felt themselves being propelled forward very quickly for a few seconds and then their feet came into contact with the ground again.

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	3. Chapter 3

Title: What Lies Ahead?

Author: Keiko

Rating: R

Pairings: Harry/Draco, Ron/Hermione cameo

Spoilers: Books 1-4

Warnings: Slash 

Summary:  Harry and Draco get an unexpected glimpse into the future.  If I say anything else, it will give away the plot.

Chapter 3 

"What in the bloody hell was that!" gasped Draco breathlessly.

"You idiot!  Don't you know what that is in your hand?" Harry asked.

"Being that I just asked you what in the bloody hell was that, I would take that as a no, Potter."

"It's a Time Tuner.  In fact, I am sure it is the same one that Hermione used back in third year to complete a double schedule of classes.  I recognize the chain."

"So Mr. All-Knowing Potter, what the hell does it do, because I felt like that oaf Hagrid just picked me up and threw me.  However, here we are in the same room, with no obvious damage to either of us.  So it couldn't be that bad, right?"

"It could be incredibly bad.  A Time Tuner can send you to a different time.  From what I remember of Hermione's explanation, if you turn the Time Tuner counter-clockwise, you will go back in time and conversely if it is turned clockwise you will be sent forward in time.  I think the formula was one hour of time for each turn.  Draco, which way were you turning it and how many times did you spin it?"

"Um, well, I was definitely turning the hourglass clockwise, but who would be stupid enough to count the rotations.  I just liked the way the thing twirled in my hand and I had to be turning it for at least five minutes until you lunged at me, like some kind of barbarian."

"I hardly lunged at you, Malfoy.  I was simply trying to stop you before it was too late, once I realized what it was you were holding.  Didn't your parents ever teach you not to touch strange magical objects?  This could have serious repercussions." 

"What do you mean by 'serious'?" Draco inquired quietly.

"Well, first of all, we have no idea how far into the future we traveled; therefore, we have no idea how many turns we need to make it back to our own time.  Secondly, we have to leave this room to find out what the exact time and date is, without being seen by anyone and then make it all the way back to this secluded room, which we no longer have a key for, for the trip back to our time.  The results could be catastrophic if someone sees us, most especially, if we run into our future selves.  Thirdly, we have to do all of this quickly before we are missed in our own time." Harry said in exasperation, needing to sit on one of the dusty trunks in the room.

Hearing the desperation in Harry's voice, Draco knew this was not going to be an easy task.  Therefore, Draco paced back and forth and tried to come up with some ideas to solve this problem as quickly as possible.  Harry on the other hand was still sitting on the trunk, deeply immersed in thought with his head in his hands, looking pensive.

Harry finally broke the silence by announcing that he had some ideas.  "Since we no longer have the key to this room, one of us will have to stay behind to let the other one back in, once he has discovered the date and time."

"Not that I want to stay cooped up in the room any longer, but we both know that you are far better at sneaking around the castle than me, Potter.

"I was thinking the same thing, Draco.  I'll go try to find out the date and time and when I knock on the door three times, you'll know to let me back in.  I just wish I had my invisibility cloak to make things easier."

"Then I will calculate the number of turns needed to return to our own time.  I don't trust your math anymore than your levitation spells.  However, I think it would be a good idea to double check the number, just to be sure.  I don't want to end up back with the dinosaurs." Draco smirked and Harry managed a faint smile.

"All right then, I'll be back as soon as I can, Draco."

"I'll be waiting on pins and needles for your return."

"Your such a prat, Malfoy.  This is your fault you know."

"I know, Potter.  Here's the map.  Just be careful, Harry."

"I will; just don't touch anything else." Harry said as he opened the door, checked both directions and headed out down the long corridor.

Draco closed the door as quickly and quietly as possible and began to nervously pace the room again.

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	4. Chapter 4

Title: What Lies Ahead?

Author: Keiko

Rating: R

Pairings: Harry/Draco, Ron/Hermione cameo

Spoilers: Books 1-4

Warnings: Slash 

Summary:  Harry and Draco get an unexpected glimpse into the future.  If I say anything else, it will give away the plot.

Chapter 4 

As soon as Harry left the storage room, he quickly scanned the long corridor for signs of anyone else nearby.  He was in luck that this still seemed to be a fairly remote and unoccupied part of the castle.  Harry quickly walked to the end of the hallway, where he remembered seeing a window on his journey to the room with Draco.  

Looking out the window, Harry looked at the location of the sun in the sky.  He thanked the gods that he had taken Astronomy classes and could get a fairly accurate estimate of the time of day just by looking up to the heavens.  After a few seconds of mental calculation, Harry determined that it was approximately 3:30 in the afternoon, which wasn't very far off from the time displayed on his wristwatch, which of course was from his own time in the indeterminate past.  Now, he just needed a plan to figure out the date he and Draco had fast-forwarded to.

After a few minutes of staring out at the sky, an idea came to Harry.  If he hurried, he knew he could make it to the Great Hall right before the majority of students arrived for supper.  Many of the students received the evening edition of the Daily Prophet at the evening meal and most of them left the paper on the table when they were finished eating.  If Harry could hide under a table until the end of the meal, he could probably get his hands on a copy of a discarded Prophet.  Also, at precisely 7:00, tiny chimes sounded to indicate that all students needed to leave the Great Hall, signaling the end of the meal.  This would tell Harry the exact time, so he could synchronize his watch and make his way back to Draco and back to his own time.  Now, the only trick would be to remain unseen throughout his entire journey to and from the Great Hall.

As Harry followed the map, it seemed like the staircases were still not cooperating and changed at every chance they had.  Luckily, Harry seemed to have an innate sense of direction and did not need to rely on the map as much as Draco had on the way up to the storage room.  This did however, slow the journey down and time was one thing, Harry could not afford to waste.

There were numerous near misses where he was almost discovered by students traveling to and fro from classes that made Harry's pulse race.  He realized that he had really come to rely too heavily on his invisibility cloak, which had compromised his stealth skills. Harry almost suffered a heart attack as he almost had a head-on collision with a Hufflepuff, while turning a corner to head down the final staircase that led to the Great Hall.  Thank Merlin, the young witch was too engrossed in a book to notice the wizard she had just brushed by and Harry breathed a sigh if relief as he finally made it to the Great Hall.  He had made it with only three minutes to spare before supper would begin being served at 4:30.  Harry quickly glanced around the hall to make sure there were no House Elves about, before finding a place to hide under the Gryffindor table, closest to the door for the fastest exit possible.  

Before too long, a trickle of students filed into the hall for their meal; however, Harry knew the majority of students would not arrive until 5:30, as this was the most popular time for supper among the Hogwarts pupils.  He tried to find as comfortable a position as possible for crouching under the table and hoped to himself that fate would be kind by passing time quickly and that someone would leave a copy of the Daily Prophet like they usually do.

Unfortunately, fate was extremely cruel as far as the time factor was concerned.  The moments crawled by like a leech.  On top of that, Harry had been kicked no less than seven times by various students and someone (probably Neville, Harry thought) had spilled both soup and hot tea on the floor, burning Harry and making him scuttle out of the way to remain hidden while a House Elf to quickly magicked the mess away.

At last, at 7:00, Harry heard the tiny chimes and the few remaining students got up to leave the hall and return to their dorms for the evening.  Harry synchronized his watch and then scanned the floor for any sets of legs before slowly emerging from his hiding place, his legs asleep and his back aching.  He quickly scanned the room for traces of the evening newspaper.

Fate seemed to be having a banner night at Harry's expense as Harry spied the only copy of the Daily Prophet lying on the Slytherin table at the furthest end of the room from the exit door.  Wishing that he had his Firebolt to quickly fly over and snatch the paper, Harry hoped for the best that the House Elves would not come out immediately to clean the room and made a mad dash for the Slytherin table.  Slipping once on some dropped mashed potatoes, Harry managed to quickly snatch the paper and run as quickly as possible out of the Great Hall.

Getting back to the storage room was a bit easier, since most of the students were now in their proper common rooms completing homework assignments or relaxing rather than bustling to and fro different classes.  In addition, the staircases seemed to be behaving themselves as well, seeming to have gone to sleep for the evening.  Still, this was the third time, Harry had to endure this long trek and fatigue was taking its toll on his legs.  It had been a terribly, long day, Harry thought to himself as he wondered how Draco was doing, being cooped up in the storage room all this time.  He hadn't heard any explosions from that direction, but Harry couldn't help but hurry along, lest Draco find another magical artifact to get in trouble with.

!!!!! 


	5. Chapter 5

Title: What Lies Ahead?

Author: Keiko

Rating: R

Pairings: Harry/Draco, Ron/Hermione cameo

Spoilers: Books 1-4

Warnings: Slash 

Summary:  Harry and Draco get an unexpected glimpse into the future.  If I say anything else, it will give away the plot.

Chapter 5 

Immediately after Harry left, Draco paced nervously for a few minutes before resuming the search for Snape's elusive potions book.  Draco was quite nervous that without his invisibility cloak, that careless Gryffindor might be seen by someone or even worse, blown up by his future self, thinking it was some crazy plan of Voldemort's.  If only that bloody git had just warned him instead of assaulting him, he would have dropped the Time Tuner like a hot potato and would be safe back in his common room, resting after supper.  Instead, he was stuck in a dusty storage room, looking for a moldy-old book, suffering from hunger and desperately wanting a bath, after the long, sweltering journey he had to endure in coming to this room in the first place.  Draco only hoped that Harry was successful in determining the date and time and returning as soon as possible.

After fifteen minutes, Draco finally found Snape's book.  It was indeed the last book on the last shelf.  Just his luck.  He scanned through its pages briefly to see why the Potions Master wanted the book so badly; however, nothing within its contents interested him.  Draco put the book down on the trunk Harry sat on earlier and began to search the shelves for a more exciting read.  After all, Draco did enjoy reading and who knew how long Harry would be.  

The minutes seemed to crawl agonizingly, as Draco scanned through book after book, without finding anything that piqued his curiosity.  Finally giving up on reading, Draco decided to search the room further.  He made a promise to himself that he would not touch anything, no matter how enticing the object may be.  Draco had certainly learned his lesson the hard way.  Once Draco began his carousing, the time seemed to speed up slightly, much to his delight, as he gazed at shelf after shelf of rare and valuable, magical gadgets, baubles and devices.  Draco didn't recognize half of the things in the room, so he tried to keep a mental picture of the most intriguing objects so that he could research them in the Library the next time he was there.  He was especially keen to find out about an orb that was floating in mid-air and changed colors randomly, like a detector of some sort.

There were even some Muggle devices scattered about the shelves, much to Draco's surprise, and he was sure Harry could tell him what those were upon his return.

Speaking of which, Draco realized that Harry had now been gone for over three hours.  Where the hell was he?  Draco was getting extremely tired and he was beginning to sneeze excessively from all of the dust in the room.  He walked back over to the mirror Harry had shown him earlier that day to inspect his eyes and nose.  If his pale features showed any signs of redness from the sneezing, there was going to be hell to pay.  Luckily, his perfect features were still just that.  Even the fatigue had not begun to show yet.  As he stepped back from the Mirror of Erised, however, he noticed that Harry's reflection was still next to his, as it had been previously, when Harry had called him over to it.  Draco quickly thought to himself that the mirror must really be broken or his eyes were playing tricks on him.  Draco walked away from the mirror and found an armchair close by, where he decided to sit and relax until Harry came back.

"_If_ Harry comes back," Draco thought to himself.  "Of course, he'll be back.  He's the Boy-Who-Lived.  If he can survive Voldemort every year, he can surely discover the date and time and get his arse back here safely."

With his thoughts now being a bit more positive, Draco settled down more comfortably in the chair and soon fell asleep.

Draco had no idea how long he had been napping, when three knocks on the door awoke him from his boredom-induced slumber.

"Finally, Harry's back and he better have the information or I'll hex him into next year," Draco muttered to himself as he reluctantly left the comfort of the chair and went to open the door.

!!!!! 


	6. Chapter 6

Title: What Lies Ahead?

Author: Keiko

Rating: R

Disclaimer:  I just wanted to state again that I do not own the world of Harry Potter.  That honor belongs to JK Rowling.  No profit is being made from this or any of my stories.

Pairings: Harry/Draco, Ron/Hermione cameo

Spoilers: Books 1-4

Warnings: Slash 

Summary:  Harry and Draco get an unexpected glimpse into the future.  If I say anything else, it will give away the plot.

Chapter 6 

"Merlin Harry! Where the hell have you been?  I've been waiting for hours, bored stiff, while you've been traipsing about the castle. I've been suffering in this dusty room," Draco ranted immediately as he opened the door for Harry.

"Quiet! I heard some footsteps down the hall.  We don't want to attract attention to ourselves." Harry whispered.

"Did you get the information?  I want to get the hell out of here!" Draco exclaimed impatiently.

"SHH!  Yeah, I got a copy of the evening Daily Prophet, but I had to go all the way down to the Great Hall and wait for dinner to get over with to grab it."  Harry explained as he pulled the paper out from under his cloak. 

"Bugger that!" Harry exclaimed as he glanced at the Prophet for the first time.

"Shh!  And you yelled at me to be quiet." Draco huffed indignantly.  "So what got you so excited about the paper?"

"It's just so ironic that the Time Tuner would bring us exactly three years into the future, almost down to the very minute."  Harry stated in a muted tone. 

"So you're telling me that we landed on September 2, but only three years later.  That's amazing!  Of course, I'm not surprised, after all I am bloody brilliant being a Malfoy and all."

"You're too much Malfoy.  I would hardly call this a work of brilliance.  Rather, I just think it is an extraordinary coincidence."

"That would mean that we have already graduated from Hogwarts.  Give the paper here, Potter.  I want to see if I have become Minister of Magic yet."  Draco said as he snatched the Daily Prophet from Harry's fingers.

"Draco, I don't think it's such a good idea to read that.  No one should know too much about the future.  It could alter reality somehow and something that should have happened, might not.  I surely do not want to be the one to bring about the destruction of the world just because of something I read in the Prophet while illicitly traveling through time instead of completing an errand for my Potions professor." Harry ranted, hoping it would prevent Draco from reading too much.

Draco seemed to ignore Harry totally, as he was engrossed in an obviously interesting article.  "Bloody hell!  It can't be!" Draco wailed and thrust the paper back at Harry.  

"What was that all about?" Harry asked concernedly as he gazed at a visibly shaken Draco.

"I-I… Just read the article on the front page about the- the new professors at Hogwarts." Draco sputtered.

"Ok."  Harry agreed as he read the following article written by Rita Skeeter:

'Yesterday, Hogwarts' Headmaster Albus Dumbledore announced to the Daily Prophet in an exclusive interview with Rita Skeeter that there will be two new additions to the school's faculty this year.  Mr. Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, has accepted the position of Flying instructor after the retirement of Madam Hooch and Mr. Draco Malfoy will be the school's latest Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.  As you know, the Daily Prophet covered the world famous wedding of Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy in June immediately after their graduation and it appears that the newly-weds found the ideal working situation to allow them to be together as often as possible.  Professor Dumbledore commented that the two wizards will be an excellent asset to the staff, as they have proven themselves a very powerful force, when they united in battle to successfully defeat Lord Voldemort in March.  The staff of the Prophet would like to extend congratulations to the lovely couple on their new positions.'

"Wedding?…lovely couple?…When the hell did all of this happen?" Harry said and quickly sat down on the nearest trunk, absolutely stunned as if he had been hit with a Stupefy spell.

"Well I surely have no idea what this article is all about.  How the hell could we-former enemies-fall in love and get married in a period of three years?  It's just not possible.  I'm not supposed to get married at fucking nineteen years old.  I'm rich.  It's my duty to sow my wild oats before I settle down.  And how am I supposed to have a Malfoy heir with you, Potter?  This must be all your fault!" Draco complained and then also found he had to sit down or else risk fainting from the shock of the situation.

"Calm down Malfoy.  I told you not to read the paper.  I have no idea what this means either, but right now, we need to stop worrying about it and get back to our own time before someone really gets suspicious about our whereabouts.  Besides, Hermione told me once that some male wizards can get pregnant.  Maybe that is why we got married." Harry tried to lighten the very stressful situation.

Draco looked as though he had been hit below the belt and then screamed at Harry, "If you knocked me up Potter, I would have hexed you so badly, they would have never found the pieces; I definitely would not have married you."

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps crept closer, followed by the sound of a key unlocking the door.

"Shit" both wizards uttered in unison.  "Quick, into that broom closet!"

Draco and Harry just crammed themselves into the tiny broom closet when the door opened and the faint sound of voices echoed throughout the storage room.

"I hope they didn't come here looking for brooms." Harry barely whispered to Draco.

"I'd be happy to let them have the one that is stabbing me in my back.  I hope they leave soon, it is extremely cramped in here." Draco replied.

"Shh.  The voices are getting closer." Harry muttered inaudibly as he placed his index finger to Draco's lips.

The two wizards tensed, as the voices grew louder.  They hoped against hope that their luck would hold out just a little bit longer and no one would discover them.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	7. Chapter 7

Title: What Lies Ahead?

Author: Keiko

Rating: R

Disclaimer:I just wanted to state again that I do not own the world of Harry Potter.That honor belongs to JK Rowling.No profit is being made from this or any of my stories.

Pairings: Harry/Draco, Ron/Hermione cameo

Spoilers: Books 1-4

Warnings: Slash 

Summary:Harry and Draco get an unexpected glimpse into the future.If I say anything else, it will give away the plot.

# Chapter 7

The tension inside the broom cabinet was mounting as the footsteps grew louder and the conversation between the newcomers could now be heard clearly.One of the two wizards whispered "Lumos Minimus" to create a very faint light, so at least they were not subject to total darkness.This did very little to avert their fear of being discovered, but it provided some miniscule amount of comfort.The young men in the closet could at least see each other's reaction to the voices coming from right outside the cabinet's door.

"If you don't get this bloody blindfold off of me, Potter, I swear, I will subject you to the Cruciatus curse every night for a week." Both boys knew the unmistakable drawl could only belong to the one and only Draco Malfoy, although, the tone was a decibel deeper.

"I told you I would remove the blindfold as soon as you answer my question, love." The other voice was none other than the older version of the other boy hiding in the broom closet.

"Shit!" both younger wizards quietly muttered."Of all the people to come to this deserted room at the very end of the castle at this particular time, it just has to be our older selves," Draco whispered as softly as he could in his frantic state.

"Yeah, its just our luck," Harry replied."Let's just be quiet and hope they leave soon."So, the two in the closet could do nothing but pray to the gods that the older Harry and Draco would get what they needed and leave.In the meantime, they could do nothing but listen to the conversation occurring right in front of them.

The older Draco was whining again about the blindfold."Ok Harry, you win.I need to get this blindfold off now.You dragged me out of my classroom, as I was trying to prepare tomorrow's lessons and then made me walk forever with this stupid thing over my eyes.I want if off immediately."

"All you have to do is answer my question." The older Harry repeated."What day is it today?"

"Fine.Today is September 2, does that answer satisfy your morbid fantasies enough to remove this rag from my eyes?"

"Well that is half the answer my Dragon, but what is special about September 2?" the older Harry asked, his voice seeming disappointed that Draco had still not answered his question. 

"Oh for Merlin's sake Harry.You know I am not the romantic one; however, I do pride myself on having excellent memory retention.September 2 is the anniversary of the day we admitted our feelings for each other, after gazing into each other's eyes.There, are you happy now?Now get this thing off of me!"

"Draco, you do remember!" Harry voice exploded with jubilation as he whisked the blindfold away with a flick of his wand.

"Thank the gods Harry.Wait, I know this room.This is that room with the Mirror of Erised." Draco said.

"Yes, that's why I wanted you blindfolded-to surprise you. We haven't been back to this room since that day three years ago.Our lives both changed so much for the better since then that I had to come back here with you. I still remember looking into your eyes and seeing each other together in the mirror. We thought the mirror was broken, but it was showing us what we had suppressed so much. It was that day that I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. Happy Anniversary, Draco."

"I remember all too well.I got lost in those deep green pools of light and made that embarrassing remark. But Harry, how did you get the enchanted key off of Snape?"

"I got him drunk on butterbeer and then seduced him, of course."

"What!"

"I'm only kidding my dear husband.Believe it or not, it was like fate or déjà vu.Snape asked me to come up here to get him a potions book for the new school year, so he just gave me the key."

"Oh.But you are still going to pay for that little comment.You're not allowed to seduce anyone but me."

The conversation seemed to end there and the two young wizards hoped that the two slightly older wizards would just find the book that they needed and then leave.Unfortunately, that was not to be the case.

As soon as the talking ended, other sounds could be heard, that seemed strangely like kissing, and then definite moaning.

"What the hell are they doing out there?" the Harry in the closet wondered out loud.

"Well, either I am cursing or kissing the hell out of you.Let's take a quick look."Draco then uttered _"Lacuna" _to produce a tiny hole in the door of the broom cabinet and then proceeded to try to find the source of the increasingly passionate noises.

"Gee Malfoy, where did you find out about that spell?I would have never thought you would be a peeping Tom."Harry whispered with a slight grin on his lips.

"Very funny Potter.I am trying to see what our older selves are doing." Draco explained as he scanned the room via the hole with one of his platinum eyes."Bloody hell!" Draco gasped as he pulled back from the hole, looking visibly shaken.On top of that, his cheeks were now glowing crimson, providing more light than the faint Lumos spell cast earlier.

"What is it Draco?" Harry asked urgently, automatically thinking the worst.After he didn't receive a response from the Slytherin, he took matters into his own hands and shifted places as best as he could in a cramped space so he could peer out of the tiny hole.Harry's mouth dropped open, as he stood transfixed, watching the scene play out in the far right corner of the room.In the armchair where Draco had been earlier, the married Harry and Draco had somehow become relieved of their clothing and were now passionately shagging each other.The two pale bodies seemed to move as one as they explored and pleased each other's bodies with their lips, tongues and erections."Oh dear gods" Harry said to no one in particular.When Draco had read in the Daily Prophet that the two of them had been married, that was a big shock, but the reality of it had not quite sunk in.What was happening in the room out there was just too real to be ignored.Harry wasn't sure what he should be feeling, but he realized that his body had its own ideas and seemed quite pleased with the situation, if he could judge by the sudden hardness in his pants.He wasn't naturally voyeuristic; having run away numerous times after catching Ron and Hermione in various positions; however, he found that he could not avert his unblinking gaze from the lovers on the armchair.Maybe it didn't count as voyeurism since he was looking at himself, like in a mirror, Harry thought to himself.

Draco now seemed to be coming out of his dumbfounded stupor."I can't believe we are actually having sex in a dusty storage room.If this is what you would call romantic, you have three years to think of something more appropriate for a Malfoy."

"I thought I told you it could be dangerous to try to alter the future.We'll just have to make sure we clean it up a bit before we use it, three years from now.We've got plenty of time." Harry tried to joke.

Soon, the moaning died down and Draco stated that he thought the married couple was finished with their lovemaking.He ventured a quick look out of the peephole, but quickly averted his gaze and blushed again.Harry raised a brow wordlessly asking for an explanation. "I thought they-er we were finished since I didn't hear anything, but it seems they or we just had something in each other's mouths preventing any noise."

"Oh. So I guess we just have to wait it out then." Harry said matter of factly, partially relieved to no long be watching, but also wanting to see what Draco had just glanced at.

Draco nodded in agreement and leaned against the back of the cabinet.His body was already quite cramped from the small accommodations and he hoped to himself that the two older wizards would quickly finish what they were doing, so Harry wouldn't notice the bulge in his trousers.

After what seemed like a millennium, the two lovers dressed, got the book they needed for Snape and left the room.

After a quick peek through the hole to ensure they were alone again, the Slytherin and Gryffindor burst out of the closet so quickly, it seemed that there was a boggart inside, threatening them with their greatest fears.

"Let's get out of here now before someone else comes in.I'm sore, hot and exhausted." Draco complained.

"Don't worry, I am ready to bust out of here just as much as you are.Now, we only need to calculate the number of turns to go back three years and we will be out of here."

"Thank the gods" Draco sighed, as they began the mathematical calculations.


	8. Chapter 8

Title: What Lies Ahead?

Author: Keiko

Rating: R

Disclaimer:  I just wanted to state again that I do not own the world of Harry Potter.  That honor belongs to JK Rowling.  No profit is being made from this or any of my stories.

Pairings: Harry/Draco, Ron/Hermione cameo

Spoilers: Books 1-4

Warnings: Slash 

Summary:  Harry and Draco get an unexpected glimpse into the future.  If I say anything else, it will give away the plot.

A/N:  This chapter is dedicated to Nona_05@hotmail.com, who was the only person to review this story.  Your kind words inspired me to finish this story, which I thought no one even read.  Thank you!

Chapter 8 

"Blast it to hell, Potter!  My arm feels like it has been run over by a manticore.  Are you sure I need to turn this stupid thing this many times?"  Draco ranted as he revolved the tiny hourglass.

"I am sure my calculations are accurate, Draco.  Just keep turning the Time Tuner and we'll be back in our own time about one minute before we left.  That way we can see ourselves right before we travel to the future to ensure we didn't make any errors."  Harry explained as patiently as he could.

"Well, I just hope your Math skills are much better than your Potions skills.  I am in no mood for skipping through time all evening long."

"If you would just stop your incessant babbling, you could have been done already.  Just a few more turns now Draco.  Oh and please remember to hide as soon as we reach our own time.  If our other selves see us they just might hex us into oblivion."

"Gee Potter, that's a pleasant thought.  Ok, here is the last turn.  Thank Merlin."

As Draco made the final revolution of the hourglass, Harry and Draco both grasped the Time Tuner tightly and immediately felt that nauseating tug, which warped them back to their own time.  A few moments later they both landed with a thud back in the storage room, three years earlier where they started their unexpected adventure.

"Ouch Harry, you landed on my foot," Draco complained in a not-so-quiet voice.

"Shh," Harry whispered as the two hid behind a trunk.

He did not want his other selves to hear the commotion and come over to investigate the noise.  Luckily, Harry's concerns were unfounded, as the other Draco and Harry were already in the process of being flung into the future by the Time Tuner.  With a sigh of relief, Harry said, "Thank Merlin, we made it back in one piece.  Let's get that book for Snape and get the hell out of here."

"For once, I couldn't agree more with you, Harry.  It has been a nightmare of a day.  I just want to get a shower, eat and retire to my bed." Draco stated in his usual drawl.

Harry walked over to where Snape's book lay discarded and went to place it inside one of the pockets of his robe, when he noticed he still had the copy of the future Daily Prophet within the pocket.  He took it out to make room for the book and glanced at the front page again.

Harry had almost completely forgotten about the unexpected headline he had read earlier that day about his future self.  Married to Draco Malfoy of all people and working at Hogwarts as a professor.  Working at Hogwarts with Draco Malfoy, who was also a professor and his husband.  Husband??  Had that been real?  That question was answered immediately as the vision of the future Harry and Draco shagging in the storage room flashed in his mind and confirmed that it had been very real.

Harry must have been standing in a daze pondering too many thoughts since he was brought back to the conscious world only by Draco who shouted, "Potter!  Come on, let's get going!"

Harry snapped out of his trance-like state and replied "I have to check something real quick, before we leave."

Ignoring Draco's protests, Harry walked over to the Mirror of Erised and gazed into its depths intently.  The reflection staring back at him was the same as before.  The image of Harry standing next to the image of Draco, even though Draco was clear across the room.  Harry was transfixed by the sight, his eyes never leaving the mirror.  Finally, Draco was forced to take action by pulling on Harry's arm to try to move him away from his reflection.

"Harry, let's go!" Draco shouted impatiently, but Harry could not be budged.

"Draco, could you please tell me what you see in the mirror again?" Harry asked in a whisper.

"I see the same thing I saw before- you and me together.  Haven't you figured it out by now Harry?  We both see each other together, because that is our deepest heart's desire.  I thought Gryffindors were known for their unending courage, but if I am not mistaken, you are scared to admit your true feelings."

Harry turned to Draco and said, " That's only because I don't know what your true feelings are.  I've been hurt badly more times that I care to think about and I refuse to be hurt anymore."

"Well, unlike you, I am not afraid to admit my feelings even though I have buried them quite deeply to uphold my Slytherin image you know.  I am obviously a master of hiding emotions otherwise, you would have known I fell in love with you the day we met way back in first year.  If it weren't for that stupid mirror and that Time Tuner, you would still be none the wiser." Draco smirked and raised an eyebrow in response to the shocked look he was getting from the Boy Who Lived.

"But Draco, why didn't you ever tell me?" Harry finally asked.

"Because you are a Gryffindor and the Boy Who Lived on top of that.  You are loved by everyone and we had such a terrible start to our relationship.  You rejected my friendship back then and I feared further rejection if I declared my true feelings for you, even after we became civil towards one another.  But what's your excuse?  The mirror obviously senses you feel the same about me.  After all, we do get married in a few years from now."

"I know.  It was all such a shock.  I guess my biggest fear is rejection too.  I mean you are Draco Malfoy, wanted by almost everyone at Hogwarts.  You're rich, powerful and sexy as hell."  Harry said as he blushed with embarrassment.

"Harry, we fell in love with each other, because we complement each other so well.  You just need to find that Gryffindor courage deep down inside of you and admit your feelings," Draco said softly as he slowly moved right in front of Harry.

He reached up and gently stroked Harry's cheek with his fingertips and looked deep into Harry's emerald eyes.  The two young men were at a level height so Harry only needed to gather a tiny bit of courage to close the tiny gap that existed between their lips.  When the kiss was broken by the mutual need for oxygen, Harry gazed into the stormy gray clouds that were Draco's eyes and whispered softly "I love you."

Draco smiled and said, "I know.  I love you too.  Do you think Snape can wait a little longer for his book?"

Harry answered "Sure and if not, we can always use the Time Tuner again to go back in time a little."

"Well, well, it seems that kiss brought out that Gryffindor courage mixed in with a bit of my Slytherin cunning.  We're going to make a great couple." Draco said smugly.

"I know," said Harry as he pulled Draco to him in a tight embrace, kissing him as if there were no tomorrow but knowing that what lies ahead would get only better.

The End

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